This invention relates to a label-equipped business form and method and, more particularly, to a form employing carbonless chemical pairs.
The invention provides a label die-cut from label stock and equipped with a pressure sensitive adhesive-equipped release liner on the back of the label stock. Such a form is known in the art as seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,379,573 and 5,011,559.
Prior to the instant invention, if the label was on the first ply of the form, no image could be transferred to the ply directly below it in the area covered by the liner--unless a carbon paper ply is inserted between the two plies so as to produce an image. Such ply insertion complicates the production and handling of forms.
Alternatively the ply below the first ply could be made of self-contained carbonless paper which would produce an image but such self-contained paper is expensive and such paper is always sensitive to smudging since it is always "live" to the touch. Such self contained paper is disclosed in conjunction with a multi-sheet assembly in co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,386.
If the label were put on one of the lower plies or the last ply, the images would be transferred to all plies but the image on the label would be carbonless--not an original. And the image would be weak and could fade with time. Also, it is inconvenient to pull a label off a lower ply rather than the top ply.
According to the invention, the first ply has all or part of the back surface coated with a carbonless chemical CB coating. The form also has a second ply of paper that has at least a portion thereof coated with a carbonless CF chemical. Further, any number of any intermediate plies of paper with CF coatings on the faces thereof and CB coatings on the back surfaces thereof can be employed. The adjacent coatings match in order to give carbonless images when the form is imprinted through an impact printer.
More particularly, the first ply has a silicone-coated patch of release liner paper that is adhered to its back surface through the use of pressure-sensitive coating on the silicone coated side. This liner paper has a coating of CB carbonless chemical on its back surface and a similar patch could be adhered to one or more intermediate plies in a similar manner. The paper ply or plies that have the liner stock adhered to the back are die-cut through the front within the periphery of the adhesive coated area to form a removable label.
Since the back of the liner is coated with CB chemical, any impact on the label made by an impact printer creates an image in the CF coating in the ply below the ply with the label. The CB chemical on the label mates and reacts with the CF chemical on the lower ply.
If the information that is printed on the label must remain on the top paper ply after the label is removed, the liner can be used with a self contained carbonless coating below the silicone coating. Such liner stock is readily available commercially. The same information that is in the label can also be on the liner and would show when the label is removed.
Exemplary of multi-ply forms making use of CB/CF coatings is a mailer seen in co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,489.